Door actuated reciprocating signal for mailboxes



April 26, 1949.

. l llfl I. 1| 'll 1 XES R. L. FAGNER DOOR ACTUATED RECIPROGATING SIGNALFOR MAILBO Filed May 8, 1948 Patented Apr. 26, 1949 2,468,257 DOORACTUATED RECIPROggTIN G SIGNAL FOR MAILBO Raymond L. Fagner,Burnettsville, Ind. Application May 8, 1948, Serial No. 25,890

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in rural mail boxes. One objectis to provide a rural mail box having a flag signal that isautomatically moved from raised position to lowered position when themail box door is opened thus notifying the box owner that the mail lefttherein for the postman-collector has been removed by him and that hehas delivered additional mail, if any. After the mail left by thepostman-collector has been removed by the box owner the flag signal isleft in lowered position unless additional mail has been deposited inthe box for collection, whereupon it is raised again.

A further object is to provide a rural mail box having signalling meansthat are positive and efficient in operation, simple in construction,inexpensive to manufacture and durable in use as well as attractive inappearance. A still further object is to provide a rural mail box havinga flag signal movable from raised to lowered position by opening of thebox door wherein the movable parts are designed for but slight movementso that wear and friction are reduced to the minimum and a substantiallyweather-resistant structure provided.

Other objects, novel features and advantages of arrangement,construction and design comprehended by the invention are hereinaftermore fully pointed out or made apparent from the following descriptionof a preferred embodiment as illustrated in the accompanying drawingwherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front or face view of the mail box in closed position.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the mail box shown in Fig. 1, two positions ofthe flag signal being shown.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the mail box, partly in section, the box herebeing in open position and the flag signal lowered.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged horizontal cross sectional view through a portionof the box, taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, and,

Fig. 5 is a vertical cross sectional view, enlarged, taken on the line55 of Fig. 3.

The reference numeral I denotes the body of the box arranged upon theconventional post Ia, open at the front end, to which the door 2 issecured upon hinge pin 3, a resilient latch member 4 secured to the topof the door cooperating with a similar latch member 5 secured to the topof the box to yieldingly retain the door in closed position. The hingepin 3 extends very slightly I beyond one of the box flat vertical sidewalls 3a and has pivotally arranged thereupon at one end slightly spacedfrom the box wall the approximately triangular casting 6, the apex ofthis triangular piece receiving the pin 3, two of the sides of thetriangular piece Ii being at right angles to each other, the third sideincluding a segmental portion I struck from the pivotal point as acenter, the ends of the segment defined by straight shoulders 8, 9positioned at right angles to each other. The casting 6 is formed withan angular lip or extension I 0 bridging the space between the castingand door 2 and secured to the latter so that movement of the door uponits hinge pin through a degree are also moves the casting in likemanner.

Secured to one side wall of the body I is a guide bracket I I and belowthe same in a straight line are the similar spaced guide brackets I2, I3also secured to the side wall, said brackets receiving the verticallyadjustable flag signal I4 hav ing the head I5 and the outwardly turnedheel I6, the elongated shank of said signal being flat and one edgethereof formed with the similar spaced notches ll, I8, said signal whenin lowermost position having its head I5 in engagement with the bracketII thus effectually preventing the signal from dropping through thebrackets to the ground while the heel I6 prevents the manual withdrawalof the signal from the brackets in the opposite direction as said heelcomes in engagement with the bracket I3.

A slide latch I9 formed of two spaced parallel strips 20, 2| securedtogether is slidably received between the guide brackets I2, I3 andreceives between its strips the shank of the flag signal I4. A dog 22connecting said strips is shaped complementary to the notches I1, I8 andin the lowered position of the flag signal may be caused by movement ofthe slide latch to enter or leave the notch I! and in the raisedposition of the. flag signal to place the dog and notch in line to movethe dog into or out of the notch I 8 and when; in engagement with thelatter notch serves to retain the signal in raised position. Carriedat:. the forward end of the slide latch between its. strips upon a pin23 is a roller 24 that rides over" the segmental portion 1 of thecasting 6 and in one position thereof abuts the shoulder 9 and in theopposite position of the casting abuts the shoulder 8. In Fig. 2 theroller 24 is shown in, engagement with the shoulder 8 of the casting,the door 2 is shut and the said shoulder has moved the latch rearwardlyto cause the dog 22 to enter the notch I8 thus retaining the flag inraised gravity to lowered position thus indicating that the contentsofthe" mail box have beensremovedz' The back andforth movement ofthe-slide latchis very slight as the door is opened and closed. Be-

fore the door is moved from wide open to closed position the operatormanuallyraisesirthesignal; and holds it in position with notch l8opposit'ethe dog until the shoulder 8 moves the latch toseat the dog.The depth or extent of""each"'shoulder' 8 or 9 from a segment terminal.togthe -adjacent= side or edge of the casting is but slightly greaterguide brackets, a dog carried by said slide latch and movable into andout of said signal notches in predetermined relative positions of saidflag signal as said slide latch moves back and forth along said one sidewall, and a roller carried by said slide latch riding upon the segmentalportion of said casting and engaged and actuated alternately by saidstraight shoulders ,to reciprocate ,said slide; latch as'said casting.is moved backand' forth through an arc of 90 degrees.

2. In a mail box, a body portion having one open end and flat sidewalls, a door movable through an arc OfeQOdBQIGBS-fldlll' open to closedposition, a hinge: pin connecting said door and body, spacedguidebra-ckets secured to one of said side walls, a flag signal'having ashank adjustably received in 1 said guide,=brackets'- and in oneposition supported than the distance of the dog from a notch-""01" l8 inthe retracted or forward position of the slide latch.

What is claimed. is:

1. In a mail box, a body portion hav-ing one open end and flat. sidewalls, a door,-a hinge pinconnecting said door and body, -aright'anglesub stantially triangular casting pivoted at its apex to saidpin and connected to said" door, the'--hy-'-- pothenuse of said casting.including a segmental= portion having its terminals defined by-straightshoulders, a flag signaladjustablevertically upon oneof said flat sidewalls, guide bracketssecuredto, said one flat side wall receivingthe-shank 0f said signal and supporting same 'inone signal" position,said flag signal shank having spaced? notches, a slidelatch adjustable'longitudinally of l said one side wall operatively supported by said 3by one of said brackets, said flag signal shank having'not'chedportions, a slide latch operatively supported by said guide-*bracketsand engaging the shank-of said flagsignal,- a dog carried by said'slidelatch movable into and out of the" notched portions-of'said flagsignal shankin predetermined-positions of said signal, a roller' at oneendof said slide-latch, and means made fast? toone-side-of said doorpivotally mountedtosaidhinge pin and-movable with said 'door'through an"arc of 90. degrees to actuate saidslide-latch, said means including-asegment st'ru'ck-fromsaid "hinge pin as a cent'er'and freely engaging;said-rollerand shoulders defining 'said segment and alter-'* natelyengaging and moving said-roller and-slide latch. I

RAYMONDLE FAGNER.

' No references cited:

